Does Chromecast Audio work with Airport Extreme?

They suggest setting the router mode to 'Using DHCP and NAT' and turning 'Connection Sharing' to 'Off (Bridge Mode)'.

Connection Sharing choices on the AirPort router are

1) DHCP and NAT

or

2) Off (Bridge Mode).

It is one or the other....cannot be both at the same time.

The advice above suggests setting up the AirPort in both DHCP and NAT and Off (Bridge Mode). That is not possible.

Can you clarify?

which has provided me with a Pace 5031NV modem-router combination. As I understand it, if I put the Airport Extreme into bridge mode it will in effect be downgraded to the much more limited capabilities of the Pace router.

If you have an ATT modem/router, then the correct setting for the AirPort Extreme with the ATT device is Off (Bridge Mode). If you try to run the AirPort Extreme in DHCP and NAT with the ATT router, you will have a Double NAT error on the the network....something that would want to avoid if possible.

Do you know how you have the AirPort Extreme set up to work with the ATT modem/router?

Finally, to answer your original question, Chromcast has not been reliable when I've tested it with an Apple router. Chromecast blames Apple for the problems, and Apple blames ChromeCast.

Thanks, Bob. I'm afraid I can't clarify. What I say they suggest is practically a direct quote. See here: <https://support.google.com/chromecast/table/6207416?hl=en&ref_topic=6279364.>

And, this clarifies that Chromecast support has posted incorrect information. What they are telling users to do is configure the AirPort to do two things at the same time, when you have a choice of only one or the other. Both at the same time is impossible.

It's my understanding that if a router is run in bridge mode with another router, the capabilities of the combination are essentially those of the other router alone

That is correct in the sense that the router in bridge mode will only be able to reproduce the Internet connection speed that it receives from the "main" router. But.....if you are transferring or copying files from one device to another over your "local" network, the "main" router has nothing to do with the router in bridge mode.

You are aware that Apple's own software.....AirPort Utility.....will tell you to set up the AirPort in Bridge Mode if it detects another router on the network, correct?

For example, my "main" router is an AirPort Extreme set to do DHCP and NAT. The Time Capsule at the other end of the house is setup in the correct Bridge Mode setting. The Time Capsule provides a wireless signal with a speed, on average, of about 600-700 Mbps depending on where the device receiving the signal is located. The Internet connection speed from my provider is 100 Mbps, so the Time Capsule produces a 100 Mbps Internet connection signal.

if I disable the router of the ATT-provided modem-router combination, then I could run the Airport Extreme in DHCP and NAT mode

That is correct in theory, but every ATT modem/router that I've ever seen does not have a true Bridge Mode setting, so it is not possible to do this. Check with ATT support to confirm. DMZ mode still has the ATT modem/router operating normally, as a router.....and you will still have a Double NAT error if you try to connect an AirPort router set for DHCP and NAT to the ATT modem/router set for DMZ.

If you have not yet hooked up the AirPort Extreme, Apple's set up software will automatically configure the AirPort Extreme in the correct Off (Bridge Mode) setting for you.....because it will detect another router on the network that is already doing DHCP and NAT. You do not want two devices on the same network both doing DHCP and NAT.....that will lead to IP address conflicts and a Double NAT error.

Good luck on your installation. Let us know how things are working when you can.

Is it too much to hope that, even if only by happenstance, Apple and Google might come up with a solution?

My opinion as an Apple user for about 30 years, would be that Apple will blame the other guy if the other guy's product does not work well with Apple.

but it was my understanding that when when the router of the ATT modem-router combination remains active with the new router operating in bridge mode, the function of the latter would in effect be degraded to that of the former.

That is not correct. The only downside to running the AirPort in Bridge Mode that I can think of is that the guest network feature will not operate correctly. Otherwise all the other features and performance of the AirPort operate normally. My son uses an ATT modem/router with an AirPort Extreme (in Bridge Mode) and the AirPort works the same as mine (which is not in Bridge Mode).

I will try disabling the router of the modem-router combination

As I noted above, ATT will not allow you to do this. There might be a DMZ mode on your Pace modem/router, but that does not turn off the routing functions of the device. You will simply have two routers on the network.....something that I do not recommend because of possible Double NAT issues.

Some users turn off the wireless function on a modem/router and think that this is turning off the routing functions. It's not. You still have a wired router.

You really have two viable options if you want to run your network in a technically correct configuration:

1) Swap out the ATT modem/router for a simple bridge mode modem (if ATT has this available) and run the AirPort in router mode of DHCP and NAT.

2) Use the ATT modem/router as is, and run the AirPort in Bridge Mode.

Good luck! Please let us know what you decide,and how things are working when you can.

About setting up a router for use with Chromecast they say that the router should within 10-15 feet of the Chromecast.

Basically, "they" are saying that the router and Chromecast device need to be in the same room. The reason for this is that walls, ceilings, and other obstructions in the signal path will rapidly absorb the WiFi signal, so performance is going to suffer accordingly.

With wireless, for best performance you need to have line of sight between the router and the wireless device. A typical wall will absorb 15-20% of the signal speed and strength, so after 3-4 walls, or a ceiling (which is much more dense than a wall) and a few walls, there won't be much signal left.

It is a bit misleading to say that the router should be within 10-15 feet of the Chromecast, It could be within 15 feet of the router, but if there were 2-3 walls in the signal path, the signal quality will not be good by the time that it reaches the Chromecast.

You have to keep in mind that sending video over wireless is a lot more demanding than normal Internet browsing, email, etc.

On the other hand, if you have line-of-sight between the devices, then you can locate the Chromecast 30-40 feet away and still have very good signal quality.

If the Chromecast has an Ethernet port, that would be by far the best way to connect, since there is no signal loss through the cable....even if the run is up to 300 feet.

I don't use this feature that much on the AirPort Express here, but it has worked well when I've tried it. However, my Express is wired back to the main router using an Ethernet cable. I cannot say how well things will work if you are thinking of using wireless to connect the Express back to your main router. But, can say that we see frequent posts from users who are having drop out issues when they try to use wireless.

Another thing of which you might not be aware........it is only possible to send audio that is in your iTunes library to the Express, so if you have other audio sources on your computer that you want to send to the Express, they will not work unless you add additional software to the computer like Airfoil.

Rogue Amoeba | Airfoil

You might want to start a new post to get some opinions on using the Express for audio.

I'm not familiar with this device, but if the store will offer a 14-21 day money back guarantee if you are not satisfied, it might be worth a try.

I'm sorry, but I would not expect that instructions for one model of a 2-Wire modem/router would work for a Pace modem/router, so that is likely at least part, or possibly all, of your issue.

Since AT&T provides both products, I think you would be wise to work with AT&T support.....not special setups that some user might have posted.

When you have another modem/router "upstream" on the network, the AirPort router needs to be set up in "Off (Bridge Mode)". That is the way that Apple's software will set things up automatically. If you try to set things up another way, you will see error messages.

As I mentioned above, my previous advice (repeated again below) was.......

You really have two viable options if you want to run your network in a technically correct configuration:

1) Swap out the ATT modem/router for a simple bridge mode modem (if ATT has this available) and run the AirPort in router mode of DHCP and NAT.

2) Use the ATT modem/router as is, and run the AirPort in Off (Bridge Mode).

If you want to try a different set up on the Pace modem/router, then I really think that you will need to get with AT&T support on that. If you try some special setup that a user has posted on the Internet, it is likely that AT&T will not support that type of set up in the event of any problems.

Good luck!